Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-05-27
4 BAG WITH HOLES.

Aunt Pratt sat IN the south window OF
the Kitchen knitting. She had a right to
sit there, for she paid her board punctually
having means" as the neighbors said.
What the Potters would have done with
out her board to help them, they could not
think-now they had it Yet before Mrs
Potter's Uncle Ebenezer died, they had
lived just as many other people live. I'm
Gle Eben had never helped his niece at all
since he gave her a modest outfit and a
hundred dollars in cash. when she married
Rowley Potter, young fellow who was
getting good wages in the great rifle facto-
ry at II.
Louisa was a pretty, capable, bright girl
then but that was twenty years ago Now
she was a thin sallow, fretful woman.
Potter still worked in the rifle shop" as
they called it, but he had only a dollar
day more wages than when he was married,
and there were four children. Lofty, egh-
teen years old, pretty, pert and vain,
worked in a hosiery. Tom sixteen, was
in nut andbolt shop" Italia, girl of
fourteen, was a "cash-girl' in Holmes &
Harper's great dry goods store. Tom and
Lofty paid their board. "Idy" clothed her
self she could get bargains and remnants
so cheap; when she should be promoted in
to SALES lady she, too, would pay like
".
was only ten he went to public school.
When Aunt Pratt was left a widow. she
made up her mind to sell the farm and
board somewhere she had no children,
hut she did have rheumatism enough to
tire her with its aches and stiffness more
than family of the noisiest boys and girls
could have tired her. The farm was "a
good one, well improved, the house and
harms in thorough repair. and there were
six cows and two horses. as well as plenty
of farming indictments She got $500 for
the whole The neighbors said it was worth
more the BUYER said it was worth less so
shrewd Aunt Pratt considered the price
fair.
Then there was $500 in Dalton bank ::
the slow accumulation of butter money,
egg money. the sale of poultry and calves.
$4,000 in all. and every cent of it her own.
Sauire Hart. of Dalton. who was executor
of the will. invested the money in safe
wavs at 6 per cent, and Mrs. Pratt began
to look about her for a home. She knew
that Louisa Potter had felt hurt about her
Uncle Pratt's will he only left to her her
erandmother's mahogany furniture, and
| the savings bank book in which he had de-
posted the profits made out of the Fries
| land hens and the white heifer calf she left
/ in his hands when she married-a sum
| amounting to hundred dollars now.
| But Louisa and her husband had expect
ed more. and Mrs. Pratt was lust woman,
capable of understanding other peoples
feelings SO she did not wonder. After
much Thought. and without any suggestion
from them. she proposed to come into H
and hoard with Louisa. So they gave up
to her Lottv's front bedroom. and put Lot
tv in with ida: and as thev cooked and ate
in the same room where they sat at even
ing. Aunt Pratt's rocker, her foot stool, her
small round table and her work basket
were established in the sunny south win
dow. where she could look down into the
street and up into the sky: for this tene-
ment was on a corner, and the Potters had
the third story fiat.
1t was a great change for Aunt Pratt,
hut she was a woman brought up in the old
New England fashion to do what She per-
caived TO he a dutv. however unpleasant
and painful. without shrinking or complaint;
and she had made up her mind that it was
her duty to help the Potters.
She missed the fresh air of the farm, the
quiet of her own house, the new milk the
sweet butter, the good bread but she said
nothing as she sat day after day. in her
window knitting or Intending. her Bible
omen ON the stand. and her thoughts very
hnsv with the things around her as well a,
with the things that are above. For Aunt
Pratt had made a resolution to leave her
money in the wav it would do her relative.
most good. and she must study them anG
their customs before she could discover
what that way was. She soon found out
that thew we're ALWAYS in debt. Potter haC
GOOD wages LOFTY and Tom were off hi,
hands. Ida had only her board given her
and Dayy was inheritor of Toms old clothes
and bis fathers too II seemed 10 Ann
pratt that there must be leak somewher,
that She did not discover at once.
She was reading her Bible in course, anC
one dav came upon a verse in the prophec,
of Hagpai that seemed to explain the stu
alton to her and onened her ewes Tn,
next dav Lofty came i'm shivering she hae
caught q severe cold and huddled over III,
cooR stove wrapned in an old shawl cough
ad and sighed and scolded all day. till sh,
was too hoarse to speak.
"Have YOU got on your winter flannels 4
osLad Amt pratt for II was November.
"Flannelsl Iguess not. | haven't 90
anvn
aWhy. Lofty I"
"Wail moor folks can't have evervthing
ia rot to have a winter suit. and there wa
snc6 a lovely one at the Boston store :
satin netticoat with drapery of camel
Naturalization mean. hut awful pretty
and a real splendid basque. satin vest an,
gilt buttons. only twenty dollars. | Tel
yon Amt Pratt. Il was swell and no mis-
fa[e Init | couldn't afford soft flannel
after that
OIs it a thick dress - queried Aunt Pratt